MINISTER for Livestock and Fisheries, Mashimba Ndaki has called upon livestock researchers to conduct studies which will help to boost production and increase efficiency in the sector.
He said at a livestock stakeholders' meeting in Dodoma this week that most of livestock keepers in the country were still keeping animals in traditional ways which contribute little in the sector's growth.
"If we will continue keeping animals the way we are doing today, we are going to cause problems in the future because of limited land for grazing ... researchers should come up with answers aimed at addressing this challenge," said the minister in his opening remarks of the meeting.
In this financial year the ministry has planned to conduct a countrywide campaign to educate livestock keepers on better and more productive ways in the sector.
"We are going to start educating the livestock keepers on modern ways of keeping the animals and we will continue with our campaign until the message reaches all the targeted groups in the country," he said.
Mr Ndaki added that, the ministry has also set aside budget for educating livestock keepers on animal feeds and climate change so that they can shift from traditional ways to commercial livestock keeping.
Commenting on the shortage of extension officers, Minister Ndaki said that the government would employ more than 300 officers in this financial year in efforts to reduce the shortage and purchase more than 1,000 motorcycles to enable the experts to reach people and serve them.
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The Acting Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Livestock and Fisheries, Dr Charles Mhina said that the government would continue to create enabling environment for private sector as important stakeholder in the development of the livestock sector.
Tabling the ministry's budget in august House, Mr Ndaki said that the budget among others targets to transform the subsectors to contribute more to the national income.
He informed the National Assembly plans of programmes and activities to be carried in 2022/2023 financial year aimed at driving commercial livestock keeping and fisheries.
He requested Members of Parliament to approve the 268.252bn/- budget of which 92.050bn/- is for livestock sector and 176.201 for fisheries.
He said that in efforts to encourage commercial livestock and increase efficiency in the subsector, the National Ranching Company (NARCO) is intending to lease its five blocks with 32,500 hectares to Tanzanian and foreign investors.
"The blocks will be advertised through the media and Tanzanian National e-Procurement System (TANePS)... investors who will be given priorities are those who will have proper business plans aimed at raising quality livestock breeds for meet and diary production," he said.
He said the investors will also be required to develop grazing farms, and produce quality seeds for pastures, provide market for products produced by small scale livestock keepers including providing them with quality breeds.
"They will also bring in new livestock technology including setting up factories for processing livestock products," the minister added.
